As part of Ole Miss’ NCAA sanctions, players who will be seniors in 2018 are allowed to transfer with immediate eligibility at their next stop because an additional year was added to the school’s bowl ban. Patterson, the team’s top quarterback, would be a junior in 2018, so that doesn’t apply to him. Still, according to 247Sports, RebelGrove.com and The Clarion-Ledger, Patterson has been granted permission by Ole Miss to contact other schools.

That doesn’t mean Patterson will transfer, but Ole Miss is allowing him to communicate with other programs, whether he reaches out to specific programs or they contact him. There are stipulations, however.

Shea Patterson's release comes with stipulations: No SEC schools or teams on Ole Miss' schedule in next 2 years. #LSU is out

247Sports.com says Michigan is “probably the favorite to land Patterson” if he does decide to leave Oxford. The Clarion-Ledger also listed Michigan, along with USC and UCLA, as potential “rumored destinations” for Patterson.

Patterson, the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the 2016 class, was putting up huge numbers this season before missing the final five games of the year with a knee injury. In just seven games, Patterson completed 166-of-260 passes for 2,259 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Patterson’s redshirt was burned late in the 2016 season. He started Ole Miss’ final three games and threw for 860 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.

Ole Miss promoted Matt Luke from interim head coach to full-time head coach following Ole Miss’ season-ending win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl last week. The win gave the Rebels a 6-6 record for the season, but there won’t be a postseason because of the previously self-imposed bowl ban for 2017.

• Probation through 2020 • A fine of $5,000 plus one percent of the football’s budget over three years (self-imposed) • Two-year postseason ban counting 2017 • Two-game conference suspension for Freeze if he’s hired as a head coach somewhere before Nov. 30, 2018. Based on the language in the release, Freeze does not face a penalty if he is hired as an assistant coach. • Eight-year show-cause for the team’s operations coordinator. During the show-cause he can’t “hold any athletically related duties or have contact with prospective student-athletes and their families.” • Five-year show-cause for assistant coach who helped facilitate the fraudulent standardized tests. A two-year show cause for another assistant coach. • Five-year show-cause for the school’s assistant athletic director • A total of 13 scholarship reductions through 2018-19 • Additional recruiting restrictions and disassociation of boosters

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!